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Thanks Ken

I rather thought you might have had my shaping challenges in mind.  But as you say, particularly with the 80 grit wheel, I can see me having another session with the planar blade jig because there is a hidden benefit.  Not only is the cbn grit far more abrasive (and therefore more efficient at grinding into ultra hard steels like my planar blades) but because it doesn't lose it's shape my jig settings can be maintained.  One of the problems I had when attempting the planar blades with the SB was the only means of getting it to cut the metal was to grade it with the diamond truing tool.  You know how abrasive it becomes after a truing session as it exposes all the new rough surface like no other method.  That procedure got it cutting for a short while before it glazed but in the process of re-truing it it would subtly reduce the wheel diameter which would, in turn, throw out the jig settings (which have to be quite fine for the planar jig).  With a wheel that doesn't require dressing, that problem will never occur.

So you have given me hope my friend :-)

Of course we will conveniently forget to mention that the cost of a cbn wheel would probably pay for 4 or 5 professional sharpening services on my planar blades which may last me a lifetime!!  But the saving justification is the shaping of HSS gouges....nice work fella....you've handled all my objections before I can even ask them :-)

My CBN testing is nearing completion. Enough time has passed that I want to post an intermediate report.

I would compare using CBN wheels with the Tormek to having a trailer hitch on a truck or SUV. For someone who actually pulls a trailer, the hitch is essential. For those of us who might like to someday need a trailer, a hitch is an expensive, but convenient means to hold a cute ornamental propeller or add some swagger to our step at the parking lot of the local McDonald's.

With CBN, it is a major stress reducer for a turner reshaping one of his gouges or skews. I would place it on the essential list for frequent reshapers and certainly for planer blade resharpeners. In both cases I would follow up with a conventional Tormek wheel and leather honing wheel for final polishing. With CBN, you get to that point more quickly with a lot less stress.

Using the combination of the Tormek and CBN wheels lets you use the strengths of both. I purchased the Tormek to handle the heavy lifting part of sharpening my chisels and plane blades. It does this very well; the Tormek SG is still my wheel of choice for this work. For sharpening kitchen knives at home or routine sharpening of turning tools, I see no need for another wheel. I like the cool, dust and spark free Tormek which proceeds at an efficient pace and still allows me full control.

What the Tormek SG wheel does in this use, the CBN wheel does for heavier grinding of harder steels. With high carbon chisels, the SG and CBN are evenly matched for speed. For sharpening just dull high speed steel tools, the SG does a respectable job. For anything heavier, like reshaping a turning tool or sharpening a planer blade with nicks, it's no contest. The CBN shines.

My standard test for grinding wheels using harder steel is to place a new metal lathe bit in a square edge jig set for a 25° bevel and grind for five minutes. In this test, the180 grit CBN wheel and the 220 grit Tormek wheel seem to start out cutting about the same. The difference occurs during the cutting process. By the end if the fuve minutes, the CBN wheel is still cutting as well. The SG has slowed down considerably. This should be no surprise. The SG is designed for carbon steel, like chisels and plane blades. It will work with harder steels, but is no match for the CBN, which is designed for harder steels. On the other hand, softer steel would clog a CBN wheel.

At this point, I am convinced the CBN wheels work well with the Tormek, either dry or wet (with Honerite Gold). Dave Sweitzer has generously offered to provide me with 360 and 600 grit wheels (presently for the T4 in eight inch diameter). My further tests will include these grits. I will keep you posted.

Ken

Interesting Ken,

and I'm right to assume that a CBN wheel needs no dressing ever?  Ie it never loses its shape? Also does it perform well being doused in the water trough ie can you safely grind wet with it?  Lastly, if you do smear some sort of honing compound on it, how does it respond to that...does it clog it and then need cleaning?  Is there any concern about rust after a wet session with it or is it free from steel so immune?

Viennese cabinetmaker - I like that :-)

Thanks chaps.  I've just spent an hour or so reacquainting myself with flattening the backs on the side of the wheel.  It worked fine as long as you don't have too much chisel metal in play ie restrict the grinding to just the tip....then it goes quickly.  I didn't bother grading it but it's nice to know it can be done.  My experiment was with a block plane blade, so pretty much the same as your 2" Jan :-)

Once mounted it was quite slow going to redefine the primary bevel and I have the older square edge jig (is it the SE-76 not the 77??).  So one quick question:  Is the 77 any better for aligning the blade to give a grind that's 90 degrees to the sides?

I did find a bit of drift off the perpendicular as I ground and my personal trick has always been to mark a sharpie line on the back of the blade very close to the edge so you can easily compare your edge to it as a reference without having to slip the jig off the USB and use a square to assess the trueness of the grind.  My drift always seems to be to leave a high spot on the left hand wing as you're looking down at it in the jig.  I'm obviously pushing too hard on the right (I'm right handed) or spending too much grind time on that side.  But it's not difficult to over compensate on that high spot to remove it.  I think the most important thing is to have that reference so you can keep adjusting yourself back on course in little increments rather than waiting until the bevel is complete, checking the square and finding you're a mm out.  Then it's a pain to correct as the drift is so great.

So I ground a 30 degree 2ndry bevel and then honed it and loaded it up.  It simply blows my socks off every time I take the first few cuts.  I will NEVER tire of that simply exquisite feeling of the removal of a gossamer thin shaving with a uniform width and thickness.  I actually measured the shavings with a micrometer and they were 0.06mm ie a tad less than a tenth of a mm.  The resultant surface is close to shiny it's so fine and something you could never achieve with sandpaper because it's free from scratches, no matter how fine they are.

So now, not only do I have a very very sharp block plane, I also have a bald patch on my arm and a thumb nail with a little channel in it :-)

Morning Chaps and Happy New Year (it's been a while since I visited)

I've a quick question regarding back flattening as I've promised a friend of mine I'll do his chisels and plane irons tomorrow and I've not done any for ages.  Am I right in assuming it's possible/sensible to grade the side of the wheel with the stone grader to re-energise it? (for chisel back flattening).

This friend of mine has been slaving away on diamond stones by hand to flatten his blades and he's had enough.  I suggested we employ the "National Grid" with a Tormek plugged into one end of it to speed things up a bit.  The notion of speeding things up seems to me to be aided and abetted by having a dressed wheel side.

Hope you're all keeping well.

Just remind me how your tomato's will benefit again :-)

Just to close the UK forum loop Luptom....I'll leave you in the capable hands of the Tormek group.  You'll not meet a more friendly and helpful group I can be quite certain of that.

Thanks guys. I'm in the x Ray waiting room with my son. Will jump on this when I get home.

This just in on the UK woodworking forum I moderate...


LuptonM wrote:

Hi all,

Was feeling very flush last week. Whipped by wallet out and bought a "tormek" at an auction last week.

Only minor drawback is that t it appears to a retro drill powered antique.

Looks similar to this one:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=st+25 ... aEVftxM%3A

I don't have the original drill shaft accessory so though it would be interesting if I could somehow attach a motor to the thing.

The motor will need to be low RPM (output between 100-150 rpm) and high torque.

Problems are:

1) where do I get a suitable motor for a reasonable price? I am not too clued up on electrical motors. The motor need to be enough powerful to handle the friction of pressing the blades against the stone

2) once I have the motor how do I transfer the power to the tormek to get the best performance? I think tormeks use a wheel against a wheel but could pulleys be used for less slippage?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And my advice was...

Go to the Tormek forum (http://forum.tormek.com/index.php). Make your post and ask Ken S (the moderator). He will help you. Tormek closely monitor the forum and a chap called Stig (from Tormek) may be in touch to connect you with whoever may have parts. Brimarc is the UK distributor and they just replaced a part in my Tormek although it is a T7 and not as old as the one you're discussing. In the main, Tormek are good at solving technical problems like this and many of their machines are backwardly compatible so you've got a reasonable chance of success if you follow my advice. Ken S....nice bloke :-) We wont hold the fact he's American against him :-)

So there may be a post from this chap in the near future....interesting machine actually isn't it?  Was that the first ever model I wonder?

By the way....I'm Bob...and I'm your Uncle 

Good thought, but not a problem with me. My car gets regular oil changes, tire rotation, and mtce if needed. Basic wash only when really needed, but no wax.

My Tormek, since it lasts longer, gets more particular care.

Ken

But then your Tormek costs more than most cars so I guess that's reasonable :-)

I agree the 186 is the bees knees. For turning tools specifically I'm less certain about the rotating base although as a bit of luxury for a Christmas present its a nice option. But because of the primary horizontal grinding with elliptical tools it's a little superfluous just for that function

Having said that, I'd like one anyway......any takers for my Christmas pressie :-)

Every time I use it, I do sharpen all my dull stuff at the same time, and expecially for knifes and chisels, I use the honing wheel every time so I need to turn the machine,

Best,
Stig

He's talking about turning tools though Stig :-)  I also turn mine around when sharpening anything in vertical mode....we all do don't we?  :-)

Never.  Only use my Tormek for spindle and bowl gouges and only use it in the wheel moving away from blade position ie horizontal.

My turkey baster is European made :-)